All Recipes | Kitchen Treaty

Pineapple Mojito Sangria

Posted on Thursday, May 23, 2013 in Beverages

If you’ve visited Kitchen Treaty before, even once, you’ve probably already seen that I’m a fiend for white sangria. Almost psycho level. Less obvious is my affinity for mojitos, but trust me. I stalk ‘em both with enthusiasm.

And so. One dark and stormy night (okay, actually a partly cloudy day with off and on showers), I was thinking about white sangria and mojitos and also pineapple and limes. And then I had a sudden booming flash of brightness. I will put them all together! As one! Pineapple mojito sangria! And then I rubbed my hands together with glee and laughed an evil yet jovial laugh.

True story.

It took me a few tries to get there, but I dare say I think this is one of the best white sangria recipes I’ve made. It’s refreshing, but a little sweet, too. Unique, but not crazy-involved. Boozy, but not too boozy. Okay, actually, it is fairly boozy (and it’s also pretty easy to drink, so as always, I say: pace yourself!)

I love that you start out by muddling lime slices, fresh mint, and sugar all together mojito-style, releasing all of those lime juices and those wonderful minty oils. (Bonus: muddling is an excellent stress reliever). But then you pour in white wine, pineapple juice, and a little rum, and then throw in a whole huge pile of fresh pineapple chunks. Basically, you desecrate the heck out of all that lime-and-mint mojito-y wonderfulness. And it is good.

Let it soak for a good long while, then serve over ice and top with lemon lime soda. (In the spirit of true mojitos, I really, really wanted club soda to work, but my Official Kitchen Treaty Test Panel [okay, my in laws] unanimously agreed: lemon lime soda is so much better. But do try club soda if you like – please, go forth and laugh like an evil genius and make it yours!)

Hawaiian Teriyaki Shish Kabobs Two Ways (with Field Roast or Beef and Chicken Sausage)

Posted on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 in One Dish Two Ways

Ours is a home divided. Or, I guess more specifically, a barbecue divided.

As is the case in many backyards across America, my guy is the lord of the grill. I mean, I know how to use it. Okay, fine, I’m ashamed to admit he showed me how to operate it last summer. Then I promptly forgot.

And so that silver behemoth gracing our patio? Totally his domain. And totally at odds with itself. On the left, an assortment of tossed veggies, Field Roast “sausages,” and the odd veggie burger. The right: meatopia, where steak and bratwurst reign.

To the left of the BBQ sits a bowl of pristine, would-never-deign-to-touch-meat marinade and its virgin brush. On the right, another batch of basting goods – these nice and thoroughly meat-tainted.

He understands a little better now, but at the beginning, my guy didn’t really “get” the vegetarian thing. He also didn’t need to. He knew it was important to me that my vegetarian vittles never touch meaty anything. And that was all he needed to know, because he is awesome like that.

And so, one grill, divided, became the name of the game. It’s a little more work and a few more dishes, sure, but the freshly grilled food and the feelings of goodwill that emerge make it well worth the effort.

One favorite meal-on-the-two-sided-grill? Shish kabobs. Because they’re made individually and easily segregated, they’re yet another foodstuff perfectly designed for our one-recipe-two-ways point of view.

Hawaiian teriyaki shish kabobs two ways | Kitchen Treaty

Meat and non-meat shish kabobs placed dangerously close to one another for photographic purposes only

An assortment of snappy veggies – colorful bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, sweet onion wedges. Fresh hunks of pineapple. Generous slices of Field Roast for me. Marinated petite sirloin chunks plus spicy chicken sausage for him. And then the best part: a kicky Hawaiian teriyaki marinade to glaze the heck out of ‘em while they cook.

And! Bonus – the recipe makes just enough marinade so that you can reserve some to make a quick teriyaki sauce that’s perfect for drizzling over your fresh-off-the-grill kabobs and a mound of fluffy white rice.

Yeah, our grill may be living a double life, but it allows us to gather ’round the table as one. Proof positive, I think, that a little compromise and a lot of love go a long, long way.

Creamy Steel Cut Mango Coconut Oatmeal

Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 in Veggie Dishes Everyone Loves

We’re into our hearty breakfasts around here. What’s the saying? Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper? We do pretty well on the first two, though generally we eat dinner like kings again. I guess we like our crowns.

Breakfast, though, that’s a biggie. Especially now that the little one is in the mix – just from pure instinct, breakfast is her largest meal of the day.

Breakfast is also nice for our mixed-diet family because it’s generally pretty easy to please both the vegetarian and the meat-eater. Oatmeal and other hot cereals, for one, make for a plenty rib-sticking breakfast but it wouldn’t occur to most meat-eaters to put meat in theirs (unless you do savory oatmeal, which I think is something I really need to try). My guy is plenty happy with a couple token slices of bacon alongside egg dishes and a couple slices of toast, and frankly, Morningstar veggie sausages are so, so good if I really want to go there myself.

Today, though, it’s about the oatmeal. This utterly creamy mango coconut oatmeal is lightly sweet, super hearty, and reminds us of vacation. Oh, and it’s vegan! Simmering the steel-cut oats in coconut milk is what makes it extra creamy.

This oatmeal is just luxurious tasting enough to feel like dessert. I’d say that’s just about the perfect breakfast – royalty or not.

English Pea Potato Salad with Optional Bacon

Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 in One Dish Two Ways

I’m all excited about this recipe. Which seems silly, because it’s totally something Aunt Edna would have lugged to the barbecue in her giant green Tupperware bowl, setting it next to the quivering Jell-O fruit salad. Or maybe that’s why I’m so excited about it. It feels so perfectly retro.

I’m also excited about it because I love it. And peas have not always been my thing, so. Yay! Yay for peas!

Posted on Monday, May 13, 2013 in Happy Endings

Food (and drinks) in jars is pretty much the coolest concept ever. I mean, aside from aesthetics (they just look cute), it’s a highly convenient way to bake up cakes and pies – and make sangrias, even. They’re easy to assemble, tend to take up less room in the fridge, and are perfectly portable for gifts, parties, and lunches on the go. Even this awesome blogger wrote a cookbook all about it.

Posted on Thursday, May 9, 2013 in Beverages

How did I live life before iced coffee? Granted, with a young toddler in my life, I sleep less than ever these days (yeah, I totally know that’s the 500th time I’ve mentioned it), so maybe that’s why I can’t imagine a life (and especially a morning) without a frosty glass of the stuff clutched between my desperate hands.

Who knows, though. Maybe the sleep deprivation thing is an excuse. I mean, either way, I just plain love the stuff.